MARCH] THE NURSERY. 275 



The elm makes a good hedge, and is propagated by seed, suckers, 

 or layers ; when by seed it should be sown as soon as ripe, which, in 

 the middle States, is between the 15th and 20th of May; it may be 

 sought for and collected at that time, dried for four or five days, and 

 then sown broadcast on a bed of good earth, covering the seed not 

 more than a quarter of an inch deep; they will vegetate immediately, 

 and when up, must be kept very clean and free from weeds. All 

 kinds of elm may be propagated freely from layers, in the manner 

 directed under that article. 



HOLLY HEDGES. 



Of all other plants there is none that makes a more durable, close 

 and beautiful hedge than the holly, nor one that agrees better with 

 the shears ; it may be clipped and dressed to any form ; the seeds do 

 not vegetate till the second spring after their being ripe, and conse- 

 quently must be treated as directed for haws, page 160, &c. They 

 must remain two years in the seed-bed, and then should be planted 

 either in the face of ditches, or into nursery rows, if intended for 

 ground hedges ; for which there is no equal as to beauty, shelter and 

 closeness. The latter end of April is the best season to plant them : 

 they never thrive well when taken out of the woods, but are very 

 prosperous when cultivated by seed, though not of rapid growth for 

 a few years. 



WHITE MULBERRY AND LOMBARDY-POPLAR HEDGES. 



The white mulberry makes a tolerably good hedge, and may be 

 easily propagated by washing the seed out of the pulp when the fruit 

 is ripe, drying and preserving it till the latter end of March, or be- 

 ginning of April, when it may be sown on a bed of light rich earth, 

 and covered about a quarter of an inch deep ; the plants will appear 

 towards the latter end of April, when they must be kept carefully 

 weeded, and when a year old some of them will be fit to plant into 

 nursery rows; the small plants may remain in the seed-bed a second 

 year, and then transplanted either into the face of ditches or nursery 

 rows as above. They are also cultivated by layers and cuttings, but 

 not so successfully by the latter as by either of the former methods. 



The Lombardy poplar is propagated by cuttings, which grow very 

 freely; the most eligible size for these, though much larger are fre- 

 quently used, are such as are from three-quarters of an inch to an 

 inch in diameter, about twelve or fourteen inches long, and are to be 

 planted two-thirds of their lengths into the earth. These and the 

 mulberry bear clipping very well, but not being spiny, they never 

 make formidable fences. 



JUNIPER AND RED CEDAR HEDGES. 



Juniper and red cedar make good garden hedges, particularly the 

 former, and are very proper for affording shelter to such quarters of 

 the garden or nursery as are set apart for the raising of tender plants 



